Name: matej yangwao's review of Built to Last by Jim Collins
Item: Built to Last
Rating: 4
Author: matej yangwao

Jim Collins

Jerry I. Porras

"This is not a book about charismatic visionary leaders. It is not about visionary product concepts or visionary products or visionary market insights. Nor is it about just having a corporate vision. This is a book about something far more important, enduring, and substantial. This is a book about visionary companies." So write Jim Collins and Jerry Porras in this groundbreaking book that shatters myths, provides new insights, and gives practical guidance to those who would like to build landmark companies that stand the test of time. Drawing upon a six-year research project at the Stanford University Graduate School of Business, Collins and Porras took eighteen truly exceptional and long-lasting companies -- they have an average age of nearly one hundred years and have outperformed the general stock market by a factor of fifteen since 1926 -- and studied each company in direct comparison to one of its top competitors. They examined the companies from their very beginnings to the present day -- as start-ups, as midsize companies, and as large corporations. Throughout, the authors asked: "What makes the truly exceptional companies different from other companies?" What separates General Electric, 3M, Merck, Wal-Mart, Hewlett-Packard, Walt Disney, and Philip Morris from their rivals? How, for example, did Procter & Gamble, which began life substantially behind rival Colgate, eventually prevail as the premier institution in its industry? How was Motorola able to move from a humble battery repair business into integrated circuits and cellular communications, while Zenith never became dominant in anything other than TVs? How did Boeing unseat McDonnell Douglas as the world's best commercial aircraft company -- what did Boeing have that McDonnell Douglas lacked? By answering such questions, Collins and Porras go beyond the incessant barrage of management buzzwords and fads of the day to discover timeless qualities that have consistently distinguished out-standing companies. They also provide inspiration to all executives and entrepreneurs by destroying the false but widely accepted idea that only charismatic visionary leaders can build visionary companies. Filled with hundreds of specific examples and organized into a coherent framework of practical concepts that can be applied by managers and entrepreneurs at all levels, Built to Last provides a master blueprint for building organizations that will prosper long into the twenty-first century and beyond.

Successful Habits of Visionary Companies

Built to Last

Drawing upon a six-year research project at the Stanford University Graduate School of Business, James C. Collins and Jerry I. Porras took eighteen truly exceptional and long-lasting companies and studied each in direct comparison to one of its top competitors. They examined the companies from their very beginnings to the present day -- as start-ups, as midsize companies, and as large corporations. Throughout, the authors asked: "What makes the truly exceptional companies different from the comparison companies and what were the common practices these enduringly great companies followed throughout their history?" Filled with hundreds of specific examples and organized into a coherent framework of practical concepts that can be applied by managers and entrepreneurs at all levels, Built to Last provides a master blueprint for building organizations that will prosper long into the 21st century and beyond.

Dhrumil Patel

Piet Terheyden

matej yangwao

** spoiler alert **
           Sounds like half motivation book for "the founders" and half "set right principles and core values"

If you're into building comparable company rather visionary, most probably this one is for you to set your generational sail, but I sense few details are missing 

>To be successful in life, you need to learn not to give up in the face of difficulty.

>We can better explain visionary leadership using this analogy: imagine some people could tell the time and date by just looking at the sun or stars.

>To become extraordinary in all you do, train your mind to accept that it can beat the odds and achieve great things.

>embrace different actions and experimentations that open you to new and accidental progress

>Big hairy audacious goals (BHAGS): commitment to huge goals that set a company on the path of progress

>Your failures are part of your evolutionary process, so don't shy away from them.

>What separates visionary companies from comparison companies is not the quality of leadership but the continuity of quality leadership.

>The secret of most visionary companies is not tied to any superior insight that other companies do not have but discipline, hard work, and deep hatred for self-satisfaction.

>Don't bother just to be better than your contemporaries or predecessors. Try to be better than yourself.

>The essence of a visionary company is not built around vision statements, mission statements, or objective statements. Rather it's based on the translation of the company's core ideology and its unique drive for progress into everything it does. A visionary company creates a soothing environment that makes it easy for employees to understand its ideology and ambitions. Visionary companies have learned to put in the extra effort and discipline to become the best they can be at all times despite apparent challenges.

>Visionary companies have learned to put in the extra effort and discipline to become the best they can be at all times despite apparent challenges.

>Set principles around you that are non-negotiables which will be pivotal in driving the force of your life. Build structures around you that will outlive you so that you can continue to build a legacy and make an impact even in your physical absence.

Cristian Garcia

Collins has been in my radar for such a long time. This is the first but certainly not the last book I have ever read by him.
The clarity, insights and facts created a rich document which works for anyone willing to create a meaningful and great human organization. 
I personally love frameworks and the book provides just that. And by this I do not mean the "10 steps guide to create a great company" but a deeper and more robust document in which several years of research create a solid foundation; easy to process but most importantly, articulate. 
A must if you care about what you do. Whatever it is.

Chris Raastad

"This is not a book about charismatic visionary leaders" - this statement says it all. At the time, working inside a company checking all the boxes described in the book, was a fascinating experience. Level 5 Leadership is the key, what are the characteristics of Kristo and Taavet and how that translates to building a successful organization.

Ivaylo Durmonski

Before getting my hands on this book, I thought, ” Gosh, finally a book that will help me transform my business into a kick-ass company. After I’m done, I’ll have the magic formula to succeed and crush the competition.”

It turns out, that there is no magic pill. No secret formula. No shortcut. No amazing product that will help you become the next 3M or HP. To succeed, to create a company with traditions, values, loyal employees, have a mob of fans that are always talking about you, and also make a good profit, it turns out, requires only one thing: good old-fashioned hard work.

Built to Last presents behind the scenes look of some of the oldest organizations that are still crushing today – how they managed to survive for so long and how they’re different from their competition. Some of the companies mentioned in the book are General Electric, 3M, Merck, Wal-Mart, Hewlett-Packard, Walt Disney, and Philip Morris.

If you’re running a business, or you’re working in a leading position for a large organization, you should stop reading this and go get your hands on the copy.

My personal takeaway is this:

Think of your business as a small town – with laws, ambitions, and long-term goals, and you as the current mayor. Your job is to make sure everyone’s happy and that your city is thriving. But while you supervise the day-to-day tasks, you also need to make sure that everyone is working together to reach the long-term vision. Vision, you’ll most probably never see because you’ll be long gone.

Full review: https://durmonski.com/book-summaries/...

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James C. Collins

Presenting new insight into such companies as 3M, Walt Disney, and General Electric, a study on what makes companies successful examines their flexibility, ideology, and strong purpose.

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James Charles Collins

Presenting new insight into such companies as 3M, Walt Disney, and General Electric, a study on what makes companies successful examines their flexibility, ideology, and strong purpose

Piet Terheyden &
Built to Last by Jim Collins

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Piet Terheyden &Built to Last by Jim Collins

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Piet Terheyden &
Built to Last by Jim Collins